


Cry Havoc

by TopHatBadger



Series: On a Strained Moth's Wings [2]
Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst? Yes, Gathering shenanigans, Leopardstar is a good but also pretty bad influence, Nobody respects Onestar in this house, Not Beta Read, Other, Set after the end of Sunrise but before The Sight, The anxiety and paranoia is strong with this one, The point where everything goes wrong lol, Villain Mothwing, clan leader interactions are fun to write ngl, minor character study
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-04
Updated: 2020-11-04
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:01:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27388363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TopHatBadger/pseuds/TopHatBadger
Summary: Mothwing has killed Hawkfrost that evening by the lake but her war against her late father's influence isn't over.Brambleclaw is still alive and to Mothwing's knowledge, still scheming behind the scenes.Shooken by the act of murder and fearful for the clan and her own safety, Mothwing turns to Leopardstar for support.Sick of tyranny and ambitious toms of Tigerstar's ilk , Leopardstar plans to make a statement at the gathering with Mothwing at the forefront at the latest clan gathering.Unknown to both Leopardstar and Mothwing, they'll cause the same divide they sought to prevent.
Relationships: Fatherly love Firestar & Brambleclaw, Mentorly/Motherly Leopardstar & Mothwing, Rivalry Leopardstar & Blackstar
Series: On a Strained Moth's Wings [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2000743
Comments: 4
Kudos: 12





	Cry Havoc

“Remember what we talked about? Do you know how you’re going to say it?”

Snapping out of space, Mothwing blinked her amber yellow eyes in the direction of the spotted molly’s voice, her leader, Leopardstar. 

Leopardstar’s black tips ears lowered as gently as her voice as she asked again, “Mothwing? Do you know what you’re going to say?” 

“...Do I need to say it?” Mothwing’s voice grew soft. Her throat clinched at the thought of the announcement. Announcing and decrying treachery at a gathering seemed like the perfect way to smoke out the traitors but Mothwing worried she would do more harm than good. 

How would the other clan cats react to the news? Would the traitors get attacked? Would each cat turn on one another for the slightest suspicious action or just for any old reason? Did she even have a right to speak?

She wasn’t the most honest cat either. Mothwing hadn’t come clean to Leopardstar about the fake omen that convinced the late Mudfur to mentor her. She hadn’t even begun to think of how she would explain never sharing tongues with Starclan until recently.

Thousands of scenarios popped up in Mothwing’s head and combined with her ever present self-doubt to cloud her mind. Her ears filled with the imaginary sounds of chaos and her once bright amber eyes darken. Mothwing’s turmoil did not go unnoticed. Her taller spotted and striped leader rested a paw onto her more rounded shoulder. 

The smaller molly gazed up through the haze and muck to see the gentle but firm glow of her leader’s ember yellow eyes. The ebony markings that curved and outlined Leopardstar’s almond eyes only helped to intensify the leader’s gaze. Mothwing struggled to blink through the static that clogged both her vision and her mind but was pulled clean out of her mental tornado by Leopardstar’s words, “There is nobody else here that deserves to speak your truth more than you do.”

The leader’s paw drifted from Mothwing’s ginger tipped shoulder to the underside of the molly’s lighter colored chin. Mothwing’s eyelids peeled right back into the socket and her drooped ears craned upwards. With her captured attention, Leopardstar spoke.

“I can’t begin to imagine the pain you’re going through. I’ll never know how much his death has tormented you.”

Mist gathered at the corner of Mothwing’s vision. A squeak escaped the medicine cat’s throat and she went to pull her head away. Force didn’t keep Mothwing’s head still but the tears Leopardstar wiped off stilled her.

“What I do know is that your loyalty is unshakable. Putting your clan above family can’t be easy. Even when your only family left was him. I know you’ve made a difficult sacrifice and I want you to know that you’ve done a great service to all the clans.”

“By...By killing my only brother,” croaked Mothwing.

“No...by killing a traitor that threatened the balance of the clans. A successful assasination attempt on two leaders would have led to total chaos. It would have led to a second Tigerclan and many more cats would have died.”

Tigerclan. Even the name of the tyrannical unity between Riverclan and Shadowclan sent chills through Mothwing’s spine.

“You’ve lost a brother but you’ve gained the respect and devotion of cats that stand before you and those that will follow. Your story will not be forgotten.”

The weight on Mothwing’s heart didn’t disappear entirely but lightened a tiny bit.

“Thank you, Leopardstar. Thank you.”

Mothwing began to pad past her leader to head throughs the high tree like she was instructed to do earlier but Leopardstar didn’t lead. 

“One more thing,” Moth swiveled her head back around.

A smile graced the leader’s ebony framed lips. A rare warmth Mothwing had never experienced, radiated off the older molly.

“I’m proud of you, Mothwing. Riverclan couldn’t have asked for a better medicine cat.” 

The upper part of Mothwing’s lips heated up and she whipped her head away before Leopardstar could see her cry again, “T-T-Thank you, ma'am. Thank you.”

After her tears had dribbled and her throat’s been cleared, Mothwing padded towards the Hightree. Leopardstar led the way, so Mothwing followed her through the crowd that circled the tree and watched how her leader ascended the tree. Mothwing followed afterwards, using the same branches (albeit with less grace). The two mollies joined the other three clan leaders, waiting on the branches. 

The first few branches posed no challenge to Mothwing but once she caught a glimpse of her fellow medicine cats giving her puzzled looks and saw the heights she was reaching, suddenly the distance between the branches got farther apart and her head grew cloudy again.

Noticing the medicine cat’s shaking body and frightened look, Leopardstar slowed her pace and let her tail trail behind her, touching Mothwing’s side. It didn’t do much to ensure Mothwing’s safety but her leader’s touch was enough to ground her again.

Against the night sky and the stark brown brains, all three of the toms were visible. Mothwing instantly recognize; the bulky figure of Shadowclan’s leader, Blackstar, the sleek and slender Onestar of Windclan and the fluffy ginger coat of Thunderclan’s Firestar. 

Before the three toms had spotted Mothwing arriving, they were quickly chattering amongst each other. It wouldn’t have been audible to the approaching mollies but by their relaxed stances and occasional smiles, they must have been making small talk and exchanging jokes. Whatever topic they were discussing, it ended when Onestar motioned towards Leopardstar and they took notice of the unexpected medicine cat.

“Hey, medicine cat,” a gruff voice called from the side of Mothwing. She flinched as she saw the gruff voice’s owner, Blackstar, loom over, “You lost?” His amber eyes narrowed in on Mothwing’s. 

“I thought she was supposed to be on the roots, Leopardstar?” Onestar’s little brown face poked out from behind Blackstar and leaned forward as he further remarked, “Or is the medicine cat your new leader, Leopard?”

Mothwing lowered her head but Leopardstar’s tail tipped it back up. 

Leopardstar glanced back at the young golden molly. No words were exchanged but Mothwing understood what she was saying.

“You’re equal here,” her eyes assured, “Don’t let them intimidate you. You deserve to be here.”

The striped tail withdrew from Mothwing’s chin and her chin stayed up high. 

“No and no,” Leopardstar said, gaze bouncing between Blackstar and Onestar to address the both of them. “I want Mothwing up here for an...announcement. It wouldn’t hurt you if she stood up here for this one gathering, now would it?”

Onestar turned his brown nose upwards and away.

“Medicine cats shouldn’t ever be on the same level as leaders,” said Blackstar, flicking his tail. 

“And when did you become such a stickler for rules?” Leopardstar questioned the tom, who snorted through his nose at the comment. 

“And you’re so much better now?” Mothwing could feel the venom in Blackstar’s words. The cool night air appeared to heat up between the two leaders. 

What the Shadowclan and Riverclan leader could be referring to was unknown to the medicine cat but Mothwing could figure out the two leaders had history. Perhaps they were on bad terms during the reign of Tigerclan? Riverclan peers that were around the same age as Mothwing weren’t very well informed on Tigerclan’s reign. The treacherous unity was used to scare rowdy kits so they’d go to sleep or simply behave but none of the older cats dared to explain much other than the fact the clan existed in the first place.

“Leopardstar. Blackstar. Please,” a warmer voice, belonging to Firestar, interrupted. The interruption cleared the air and the cats’ fur flattened. Mothwing hadn’t noticed she was holding a breath in her throat until now. She let an audible sigh escape as Firestar stood beside the Windclan and Shadowclan leader. Even in his old age and underneath the moonlight, Firestar appeared to glow and flicker like his name sake.

His forest green eyes motioned between Leopardstar and Blackstar as he said, “This is a gathering. We’re not here to fight and bicker. The past is in the past.” He directed his attention to the golden medicine cat. An apologetic and warm smile spread on his lips. “Apologizes Mothwing. I’m sure Starclan won’t mind if you sit up here for this one time.”

“Thank you, sir,” Mothwing muttered out. Her heart dropped lower into her chest.

“I don’t think you’ll ever want me near here again with what I’m going to say soon,” thought Mothwing.

The leaders and Mothwing turned their face to the eagerly awaiting crowds of cats and with a quick assessment, they decided it was time to speak. A yowl from Onestar signaled for the cats in the clearing to quiet down and soon dozens of eyes were set upon the elevated cats. From then on, the gathering continued on. Leopardstar had asked to speak last so the rest of the leaders went ahead of them. 

As the other leaders spoke of their clans’ new births, apprenticeships and promotions, Mothwing searched the crowd. She caught the gaze of a few of her clanmates and other cats that were looking at her with varying degrees of curiosity and confusion at her presence. Even though those inquisitive looks caught her attention, they didn’t hold her captive for long. She only stopped searching when she found one particular set of amber eyes in the crowd.

Not directly on the tree roots but still closeby, sat Thunderclan’s deputy, Brambleclaw, Mothwing and Hawkfrost’s half-sibling and Hawkfrost’s fellow conspirator. Mothwing’s jaw tensed as did her ears. 

The way Brambleclaw looked and watched her was no different than any other cat’s eyes in the crowd but for some reason her heart kicked up it’s relentless pace. Heat started to gather in her upper lip as they shook. Her bushy tail lashed and tapped against the wood underneath. The way he stood there so innocently lit a fire in Mothwing. It was the same look she’d seen Brambleclaw wear as Tigerstar preached and drilled devilish words into his and her brother’s head.

Was Brambleclaw just like her brother? Was he also wearing a stoic and yet friendly mask? Was he also masquerading as a proud and loyal Thunderclan tom? Did he follow Firestar's heels, pretending masterfully to be subservient to the older leader while quietly scheming all the ways he could tear apart and break the ginger tom’s neck? 

These past few moons, Mothwing wanted to believe differently. She wanted to be convinced that Hawkfrost and Brambleclaw wouldn’t possibly let themselves be seduced by Tigerstar’s wicked ways. She truly wanted to believe otherwise but she saw the way they trained. She saw them practicing forbidden techniques with her own two eyes. She heard the way her kin spoke, knowing they were hidden away from their curious peers.

But she saw the murder in Hawkfrost’s eyes. The dark and insatiable lust Hawkfrost hid too well for anyone but her to notice. Leopardstar must have seen the same look in Tigerstar’s eyes yet she was horrified to hear of Hawkfrost’s planned betrayal from Mothwing. 

Tigerstar had shaped and formed Hawkfrost into a different and much dangerous breed of villain, nearly invisible to a clan familiar with tyranny. Mothwing could not assume Brambleclaw was any different. Riverclan and all of the clans are too important to Mothwing.

By Mothwing’s will, the lies and treachery ends tonight.

“Mothwing,” Leopardstar’s whispers just barely pushed past all the blood starting to rush in her ears, “It’s time.”

“Okay…”

Mothwing sat up and elevated her chest to help her project her voice.

“Riverclan has been... burdened with some troubling news.” Mothwing could see many cats tilting their heads and leaning forward. Everyone except the Riverclan cats were unsure what she had to say. She glanced back at Brambleclaw below.

The brown tabby held the same expression. He didn’t know what was coming.

Mothwing continued, “My brother, Hawkfrost, made an attempt on my life and I barely escaped with only a few scars,” Some gasps and exclamations could be heard from the crowd below along with several cats pointing at the scabbed up wounds spanning from Mothwing’s check to her muzzle. She paused as she found the words caught in her closing throat. When she could finally bring herself to speak, Mothwing told them that , “I...I had to kill my only brother...but not before I learned why he turned on me.”

The night air thickened. The stars and moon dimmed. Cats froze. In the brief silence, the sounds of the lake water lapping at the island’s shores and the whimpering autumn breeze became amplified.

Mothwing shivered, realizing she was standing right at the end of the calm eye of the storm and would soon drag every cat back into the chaotic storm with her.

“It needs to be said. We can’t let this go on any longer,” Thought Mothwing before expelling the thoughts that troubled her for the past few moons.

“For many moons, I’ve been accidentally granted access to The Place of No Stars and witnessed... the late Tigerstar scheming with many cats but also with my brother and my half- brother, Brambleclaw! They were planning to assassinate Firestar and Leopardstar, becoming leaders and carrying on our late father’s work.”

The dam has been broken. Noise returned, no exploded, back into the Gathering. Cries of disbelief and anger came out but also cries of horror and terror.

Mothwing could see the immediate effect on Brambleclaw. The color drained from the brown tabby’s face.

“It can’t be! I thought he was better!” 

“I knew it! I knew nothing good could come from Tigerstar’s kits!”

“Why Brambleclaw? Why would you do this!?”

Cats from within and out of Thunderclan called out. Brambleclaw started to scrunch up. The hair on his back raised as cats started to come at him from all sides. His amber eyes started to dart around. Mothwing’s yellow eyes narrowed. 

A pang had hit her heart when she saw the all too familiar fear and panic spelled out on the warrior’s face but at the same time, she felt relieved that she alone was not burdened by the truth. Everyone knows now and there was nowhere to hide for the conspiring tom.

“Traitor! Traitor!” Screamed a voice, making Brambleclaw jump.  
“No...No...please,” Pleaded Brambleclaw. He didn’t get a chance to make his case. A silver tabby leaped out from the sidelines and slashed at the air near Brambleclaw. The deputy dodged, almost leaping into another cat’s attempts to bash him on the head.

“Exile! Exile!” A bloodthirsty chant started to form.

“Wait...No...” Mothwing could barely hear from the side. The whimper was so quiet that Mothwing almost missed it. 

She hadn’t dared to look past Leopardstar and gauge the other leader’s reaction to the news until this moment.. Mothwing didn’t expect Blackstar and Onestar to react much but Firestar’s reaction was the one she feared the most. Firestar was known to be a friendly tom but any cat knew that he wasn’t afraid to speak out and argue. 

But when Mothwing looked over, Firestar was much different. He didn’t even look Mothwing’s way. He was completely focused on Brambleclaw, staring slack jawed. His fur no longer seemed to glow. His green eyes looked watery. Streaks were already forming down his cheeks. 

Another attempted attack and vicious hiss sent Brambleclaw scrambling, running from the crowd and heading for the brush and the tree bridge. Some cats came at Brambleclaw’s heels to make sure he stayed gone for good. 

“W-Wait! Brambleclaw,” Firestar yelped in a voice that Mothwing couldn’t ever imagine coming out of the Thunderclan leader’s mouth. The ginger tom descended downwards as quickly as he could, accidentally bumping into and shoving some cats aside as he gave chase. 

The winds’ whispering and howling got louder as the crowd turned their attention away from Brambleclaw to a few other startled and frightened cats, turning on each other as they argued.  
Whether they were arguing because cat’s dark forest connections or just for arguing sake was anyone’s guess. Mothwing certainly couldn’t pick points of contention with all the noise going on.

“Hey! Hey! Clans! Clans!” Onestar broke out of his stunned daze as the noise increased and he realized Firestar, the normal mediator of the gatherings, had just run away. Nobody, not even the Windclan cats seemed to look back up to the Hightree at his words. Onestar’s ears could be seen pulling back at the obvious disrespect his clan showed.

Leopardstar used her tail to catch Mothwing’s attention again and motioned her head back. Mothwing obeyed, bowing her head as she stepped back, making room. Leopardstar stood front and center once more, letting out a thundering yowl.

The clouds started to creep upon the brilliant moon’s light but Starclan’s displeasure would not end the gathering just yet. Leopardstar wouldn’t let them.

Spooked by the noise, some cats turned their attention back to the Hightree. Onestar could have been seen throwing Leopardstar and his own clan some glares but neither of the receiving parties acknowledged him, especially Leopardstar.

When she felt another eyes were poised upon her, Leopardstar straightened her stance. Electricity sparked and danced between her umber eyes. Her tail whipped and flew like a newly staked flag planted in the soil of newly claimed land. Leopardstar wasn’t the biggest cat in the forest when compared to the likes of Blackstar but she seemed to swell in the moment.

“Any cat, whether from Riverclan or any other clan, that even dares to think about planning dethroning their leaders or of a rebellion, come to the roots of the Hightree and bare your throats for my claws!”

The crowd grew deathly quiet at Leopardstar’s declaration and stayed quiet as she continued on.

“Riverclan, Shadowclan and I have seen enough blood spilled to flood the forest twice over. Tigerstar and Brokenstar’s tyranny had ruined countless lives. I…regrettably stood by as Tigerstar ruled but I’ve seen the error of my ways. Now, Riverclan and I will snuff out such dangerous attitudes! The Warrior Code and the Warrior Way is law! We will never let any ruthless cat destroy our way of life! Never again!”

Several cheers and yowls of agreement rose above the growling sky but it wouldn’t stay that way for long.

The world flashed bright for a moment before the island’s ground was struck with electricity. The cloud’s furious roar and snarl overpowered the clan cats’ shrieks. Cats jumped and cowered.

“Riverclan! Let’s go!”

Leopardstar ended her speech and descended down the tree without a second word. Mothwing was left on the branches for a brief moment. She caught the eyes of Blackstar and Onestar once again. Unlike the first time, they didn’t look at Mothwing with disagreement and distrust. Blackstar’s gaze still shone cold but a smirk painted his lips. Mothwing couldn’t decipher if Blackstar smiled respectfully or was amused at the chaos her leader and her caused. Onestar didn’t appear to really look at her but instead past her. Shaking slightly from the thunder strike and slack jawed at the revelation, Onestar looked frozen with indecision.

Mothwing took the looks as her cue to leave, trying her best to climb down the tree and join with her gathering clan mates, who looked at her with a strange and uncomfortable mix of pity, admiration and fear. Numerous conflicting whispers came upon Mothwing’s ears during all the chaos but no other cats’ mouth was moving.

Maybe the lightning strike was to blame but even still Mothwing’s heart thundered as much as it did on top of the tree. The weight on her body hadn’t lifted. 

She exposed and effectively led to the exile of Brambleclaw so why didn’t she feel any better?

The truth had come out and the balance had been restored yet suspicious and convictive mummers surrounded and filled Mothwing’s ears. They followed her and taunted her as the Riverclan cats and her scurried their way home.

She did the right thing didn’t she? Why did Starclan retaliate? Why did Mothwing still hear the voices of ghosts, Tigerstar and her slain brother?

What did she really do?

**Author's Note:**

> Hi there! This is the second part of my Brutus/Julius Caesar inspired Villain Mothwing au!
> 
> This was in the works a little while after I wrote the first part back in March but I got caught up with life and college work. I started working again on this wip when I realized I needed a destresser after doing college work and other personal projects.
> 
> Hopefully my style of writing didn't change too drastically in the past few months for it to be noticeable!
> 
> I'm definitely looking forward to expanding even further on this AU with some more fan writings. I hope y'all enjoy the fic as much as I enjoyed writing it :)


End file.
